how to excel on a sub-I?

[MDchouette]

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I'm a rising fourth year, and my psych sub-internship is coming up. I'm looking for advice from residents, attendings, and current fourth years on how to excel on my sub-internship. In particular, tips beyond what worked during third year (i.e. knowing your patients and their meds, bringing in relevant articles, offering to do presentations, being compassionate and enthusiastic) would be most excellent.

Congrats to all the newly-certified fourth years!

 

[anesthesiarocks]

I'm a rising fourth year, and my psych sub-internship is coming up. I'm looking for advice from residents, attendings, and current fourth years on how to excel on my sub-internship. In particular, tips beyond what worked during third year (i.e. knowing your patients and their meds, bringing in relevant articles, offering to do presentations, being compassionate and enthusiastic) would be most excellent.

Congrats to all the newly-certified fourth years!

ummm....you pretty much nailed it with your points above. Just show interest and be cool so people like hanging around/working with you.

 

[SpiritiualDuck]

Most everyone does well that does a sub-I because attendings are excited about having medical students that want to go into psychiatry. You don't need to bring in any articles. Know your patients, list to them, discover their stories, and stay objective. As a resident, who recently had a sub-I that did not get his work done and often left work for me, that is not what you want to do. Gather collateral information from families, outside hospitals, know their medication hx, what has worked, been tried, know your patients. Work on your diagnositic interviewing skills. Understand what are the mechanisms of change. People that are acutely ill that stabilize in 2 days did not get a bump from an SSRI; it's about structure, safety, relationships.

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